The Karonda (Devanagari: करोंदा, Carissa
carandas), also Karau(n)da or
Karanda, is a shrub which produces berry-sized fruitsphoto and is
commonly used as a condiment or additive to Indian pickles and
spices. It is a very hardy, drought-tolerant plant that thrives
well in a wide range of soils.

The supposed varietiescongesta and
paucinervia actually refer to the related Conkerberry (C. spinarum).

Propagation

The plant is propagated through seed in August and September.
Inarching and budding can also be practised for vegetative
propagation. Cuttings may also succeed. Planting is done with the
first shower of monsoon at a distance of 1.5 m. Plants raised from
seed come into bearing two years after planting. Flowering starts
in March and the fruit ripens from July to September in North
India.

Uses

The karonda fruit is a rich source of iron and contains a fair amount of Vitamin C. It is antiscorbutic and very useful for cure of
anaemia.
Mature fruit contains high amount of pectin and, therefore, besides being used for
making pickle, it can be exploited for making jelly, jam, squash,
syrup and chutney.

The roots of the plant are heavily branched and make it suitable
for stabilising eroding slopes.